Welcome 2011

I had some time going to the airport last night.  Maybe I was being too dramatic.  I think it was partly because I'd been hit the day before and was scared to death to drive on the icy roads.  It was a minor accident, but I'd been doing everything right, so I think I just felt a little vulnerable (it sounds stupid! But I was so scared!)  Anyway, the weather had frozen my windshield washer jets, and I tried and tried to get them to work before I left, but couldn't.  I ended up just using windex, and bringing the bottle with me.  I hit some pretty slick freeway in Lehi and my car felt way unstable so I was going way slow, and I felt like everyone else was driving way too fast.  I had a little bit of a meltdown, and felt like I needed to pull over and just check things over.  I pulled off the Highland Alpine exit to the Maverick to check and sure enough, I had a near-flat tire.  (I've gotta get that tire replaced!)  So I filled it with air and nearly froze my fingers off doing it, then went to spray more windex on the windsheild but there wasn't enough in the bottle to spray, so I went in and bought a water bottle to dilute the windex so I could see out my windshield.  I hated it!  But I made it to the airport safely. 

Geoff also made it safely to the ground, even though his flight was delayed by 2.5 hours.  Better than being cancelled or having to stay overnight I guess.  But I'm glad he was safe.  I told him of my harrowing experience, and he drove us home without worry or incident.

Today, he made me a grilled ham and cheese sandwhich for dinner, even though he wasn't hungry for one.  Also he went with me to the gas station for drinks so I wouldn't have to go alone.  He's so sweet.  I did fine without him this past week, but it's so nice to have him home.  I know this is the age of the independent woman and all, but I've realized that I so appreciate having him around to drive me home when I'm scared, and make me ham and cheese sandwhiches, and just have someone to be there and take care of me.  Sure love him.

Tonight we're staying IN, out of the frigid cold.  Just watching TV, playing with voice changers and hanging out.  I love it!  Happy New Year!

Yum, snow!

Oh, it was just the cutest thing ever just now.  I took Gwennie out for her pre-bedtime potty, and the snow comes up to her head.  She accidentally got a faceful of snow, and realized that she actually liked it!  Then she went bounding around snatching up moutfuls of snow and looking up at me, face all covered in white.  It was just the cutest thing, to see her running around, eating the snow.  I almost want to take her back out, just to watch her play.

Anyway, that was the bright spot in an otherwise craphole of a day.  I discovered a tax problem at work that I may have been the cause of (still not sure how we're going to handle it), and got rear-ended on the way home, and subsequently stuck in the snow.  And it only took an hour to get home on an otherwise ten minute drive.

Someone got killed on Airport Road in the storm - a girl driving a Chevy... so sad.  I, (a girl), who drives a Chevy, must go to the airport tomorrow to pick up Geoff... if the roads are clear... if the flight isn't cancelled.  Oh, I dread work tomorrow.  These are the times I come back to wanting to quit.  If I knew I was going to die tomorrow, there's no way I would spend another minute at work.

Catch up

I'm a slacker.  I'm already starting to forget stuff. 

On Thursday night (Christmas Eve Eve) what really ended up happening is I convinced Geoff he needed an iPod Touch too (he seemed to like mine so I thought it would be fun for him to get one too).  We found one for $175 on KSL, unopened. Retail is about $230, so we thought that was a good deal.  We drove all the way out to West Jordan, out past the Oquirrh Mtn Temple even, to pick it up.  We brought Gwennie along, just for the heck of it.  It was her first experience with sticking her head out the window while driving.  She was timid at first, but then she couldn't get enough and I had to hold her down to keep her from falling out!  It was pretty late when we got back, so we just spend the rest of the night laying in bed, downloading apps and playing with our ipods.  We layed there for a good 3-4 hours doing that, and showing each other what we got.  It was fun.  We ate at Applebee's earlier in the afternoon too, after I was off work.

Christmas Eve, the big event was that we went out to lunch with my family, Uncle Pete & Aunt Sue, and Grandma Bingham.  We went to Goodwood in Draper.  Then we went home and took naps, passed out neighbor gifts, and I don't remember after that.  Probably watched Married with Children or something.

Christmas Day, we slept way in (it was wonderful), went to mom and dad's around noon and exchanged gifts, then headed to my Grandma Boyack's to meet the extended family for lunch and gift opening.  We went back to mom and dad's afterward, to pick up Gwennie, and ended up staying and doing puzzles and watching a movie. 

The morning after Christmas, we woke up before the butt crack of dawn and drove to the airport.  Geoff flew out to Portland.  His plane was delayed and ended up not even leaving until after he'd been at the airport for 4 long hours (it only took ten minutes to get through security and get all checked in!).  I took a nap and did a ton of cleaning!  Geoff called me that night to talk and say good night.  :)

Yesterday, Monday, Alison and Danielle came over after work and we had a girls night.  Al and I made grilled tuna sandwhiches with cheese (I sliced my finger pretty bad on the tuna can, oops).  Danielle joined us later and we went to the mall for an hour, then to WalMart and home.  I wanted to take them to The Chocolate, but come to find out, they are closed for the holidays.  So we went home and made cinnamon streussel muffins (from a box, of course) but they were yummy.  We got a little ways into Strange Brew before I had to hit the sack.  They were both still here when I left this morning but they're gone now and it's just me and Gwennie again. 

So now that I've spent a bunch of time cleaning, and had some fun with my sisters, I think I'll spend tonight chillaxin'.  Maybe a little bit of picking up, but only a little.  Me and my baby girl will snuggle in a blanket.  Geoff is scheduled to fly home on Thursday, but there's supposed to be a huge storm Wed through Fri, so there's a chance it could be delayed or cancelled altogether.  I hope not cuz I miss him, but we will see.  Later Skater.

In the words of Bruce Almighty: Love love love love love love love

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

It's my last day of work, and a shortened one, too! Yay!

Geoff wanted to try pulling an all-nighter tonight - I love doing that with him.  Even if I never make it to morning.

I'm sorta thinking about delivering neighbor gifts, going to the temple (if it is open), maybe even see the lights at Temple Square (if Geoff isn't too opposed to driving to Salt Lake since I'm sure he gets sick of the drive.) 

Enjoy being with the ones you love! I know I will!

Life is good!

Erik's Birthday

Yesterday was Erik's birthday, (his 20th!  So old!)  so we all met at Wingers last night to celebrate.  Geoff was able to come, and Erik's girlfriend Kelsey.  It was fun.  Alison gave him a gift card to the movies.  We gave him a gift card to Olive Garden, and I picked up a box of sugar cookies from The Chocolate for him, since it was on the way, and he loves Granny B's sugar cookies, so I thought he'd really love these.  Danielle gave him a Nuns Having Fun calendar, ha ha.  Wherever she found it; that is hilarious. 

After dinner, most of us went to mom and dad's for some cake and to meet Grandma Boyack.  We told stories of Erik when he was little, including "Dops! Who cwossa my bwidge?"  and other stuff it was so cute.  He was always such a good kid.  I like him.  And my Grandma is the cutest old lady ever.  And that's a fact.

I went home afterward and opened Christmas presents.  We opened all the stuff Geoff's mom sent us already - Geoff didn't want to wait, and I'm okay with that.  He also opened my gifts to him (some cologne and a ring) and I opened his to me (some perfume and a bottle of C.O. Bigelow peppermint lotion from Bath and Body Works that is soooooo good!).  We also started the second batch of apple butter.  A few days ago, Geoff downloaded Talking Rex to the iPod and we've been goofing around with that.  Fun nights.

Apple butter and blind dog

Congrats to Josh & Kenna on adoption of their "little studly" this last week!  They've been through quite a lot and really deserve this! And he is CUTE!

It's been raining all day today and yesterday.  We have to force Gwennie to go potty outside because she hates to get wet.  Well tonight we thought we'd take her for a walk in her raincoat.  The hood kept falling over her face, and I wondered if she could see, but she went trotting off anyway.  My suspicions were confirmed a moment later when she ran face-first into a utility box, hard.  It was just like that Dana Carvey movie with the dog that has a depth perception problem.  I wish I'd got it on camera because it was so funny!  I took the raincoat off after that, obviously.  (And she was fine.)

Been making applebutter today with a recipe Geoff's sweet cousin, Becca, gave me.  It looked way easy because all you do is throw everything in the crock pot and let it cook.  It wasn't until I googled ways to make the applebutter thicken that I realized I'm supposed to can it to seal it off, too.  If I had known that, I wouldn't have picked applebutter as neighbor/coworker gifts, cuz that's more work than I planned to do (simpler is always better!).  Luckily, the jars I bought were the type you can can with, and we have a canning pot from 2007 when Grandma taught us to can peaches.  (We'd meant to can some more stuff, but it never happend.)  Today's batch made 17 jars.  Two more batches to go.

I can't believe the weekend is over already!  It has gone too fast!  I'm glad this coming work week is a short one!

Incredibly sad

So many memories here.  A piece of history.  It's just so sad.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=13693318

A cure for AIDS

A few days ago, I saw a story on the news that researchers have found a possible cure for aids through the use of stem cells.  There's a man that they believe, so far, is cured.  I don't know why the media isn't making a bigger deal out it; you'd think it would be hugely celebrated. 

But moving on - it got me thinking a lot about some of the things I've heard people say or express about AIDS, and my own thoughts on it.  I've heard anger expressed that AIDS resulted from the union of two gay people and spread from there, and that AIDS is a scourge of the wicked.  I say it's hogswallup.  I haven't done extensive research myself, but I'm pretty sure that they traced its origin back to human-ape contact in South Africa.  (Might've been South America, I don't remember.)

As to the "scourge of the wicked" thing.  Well.  There is so much more that comes into play with those affected by AIDS.  For one, unsanitary medical practices.  Drug use is a big one.  Statistics will obviously vary among demographics and parts of the world, but consider this statistic about Myanmar:

A report from the United Nations International Drug Control

Program states that 74.3% of all tested drug users, 9% of the

prostitutes, 0.5% of blood donors and 1.4% of pregnant women in

Myanmar were HIV-positive (13).*

STOP READING HERE if you are too sensitive to the plights of the innocent, because this is really sad, ok?

I remember how affected I was when, at 19, I saw a special on TV about the child sex trade in Southeast Asia.  It was the first time such notions had ever entered my realm, and it really shook me.  I later did some research on it for a college english paper, and learned that the child sex trade is one of the largest contributors to the spread of AIDS in the world.  The article at the link below sums up most completely the stuff that I learned while researching for my paper.  It's very informative, with regards to how the women and children end up in that situation, and why it happens, and what is being done to stop it.

http://www1.american.edu/ted/myansex.htm

People choose children instead of adults, for religious or superstitious reasons, thinking that they are pure because of their virginity, when in reality they are only marketed as virgins.  Some believe that if they have aids, sleeping with a virgin (or child) will cure them.  There are laws to stop it, and many groups are fighting for the children and for human rights, but there is so much corruption with law enforcement, and even governments are reluctant to comply with the law too much because the sex tourism is such a large part of their economy.  In the meantime, the children are the real victims of all of this.

The exploitation of boys and girls exemplify the single most

unsavory element of the worldwide growth in the sex trade: an

explosion in child prostitution, driven in part by the fear of

AIDS. Since 1985, child prostitution has escalated dramatically

worldwide. In the developing world the number of child prostitutes

are staggering: an estimated 800,000 underage prostitutes in

Thailand, 400,000 in India, 250,000 in Brazil and 60,000 in the

Philippines.(25) The newest international sites for child

prostitution are Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, China and the Dominican

Republic.*

It's just something that is a huge, and very heartbreaking problem, and I think awareness is needed, although it is hard to figure out what a single person, like me, could do about it.  As far as AIDS, there is so much more to consider than "wickedness," or the "bad" things a person must've done to contract the disease.  There are so many innocent victims in the world, millions.  Any death or infection - no matter by whom or for what reason - is tragic.  It will probably be many years yet that a cure for AIDS - if that is what this is - is widely available for all who've suffered.  But I do hope that will someday be so available.

*Both quotes are taken from the article at this link: http://www1.american.edu/ted/myansex.htm

I guess this makes me a republican, then

We are all ready to make neighbor gifts this weekend!  And most of the Christmas shopping is done!  Geoff is still sick, but says he feels better... as he lays on the couch in silence... uh huh yeah...

No new adventures today; the drugged up guys (there are actually two- they are twins) didn't even come down the street today.

BUT, I learned that 37 of the 50 states are on the chopping block for insolvent unemployment compensation funds.  Meaning, if they don't pay back their federal loans within the next year, the FUTA  tax rate will go up (called a credit reduction).  Michigan was the first, with their credit reduction starting last year; this year Indiana and South Carolina join it.  NEXT year, wow I just can't believe it.  Whoever is doing my job at work will be having their hands full with all of those states!  (Assuming that none of them pay their loans back, which some still may.)  It got me thinking a little; people who are against business tax cuts have got their heads in the clouds.  They may think it's better to take money from the soulless corporations and give it to the people, but businesses are what supply the jobs that everyone wants so badly!  And they've got everything going against them with this crappy economy - sales/revenues are down, taxes are going up... as a result they have to lay people off or go out of business.

There will always be people at the top of some ladders who are corrupt and embezzle or give themselves huge, undeserved bonuses.  And it's not fair.  But that is going to happen in a good economy or a crappy economy, take your pick.  Better to let and get businesses to thrive and increase the workforce anyway.

The times we live in.  There's just not enough money to go around.  I should consider myself so lucky to be doing okay.

Today

This morning, I realized that I had worn my blue pants all day yesterday, thinking they were my black ones. 

Gwennie scared herself with her own fart.

Geoff did a perfect imitation of the Grinch song "you're a mean one, Mr. Grinch..." with the help of his cold and it lowering his voice and all.  (He's in bed now, knocked out by cough syrup, which we actually had to show our ID to buy today.)

And the crazy druggie guy that walks up and down the street outside my window at work, paused in his daily mutterings long enough to lift his leg at the building - as though he thought he were a dog peeing on it or something - which, I guess, is better than the time he actually did pee on it.

What adventure will tomorrow bring?

Positively toast

Haven't done much today, feeling sort of gross with a cold; Geoff and I both.  I did some studying for a final exam which is tomorrow after work.  And went visiting teaching.  It is nice to just lay around with Geoff and just watch TV or read. 

When I was on the HCG diet, we'd gone to the library, and I picked out a conspicuous looking book labeled Toast.  I swore once I was off the diet I would go back and find that book.  Geoff picked it up yesterday for me.  I made two of the recipes today - sunnyside up toast, and french toast cooked in a waffle iron.  (We have a small, cheap one). The waffle french toast actually has an orangy-recipe for the egg batter, but we don't have orange juice today, so I just used regular french toast batter.  But how neat is that to cook it in a waffle iron?  Yum.

I've decided that this negativity about my job has got to stop.  I can't say for sure how much longer I'll be there, but even two days is too long when I feel that way.  Last Thursday in a "numbers" meeting with another department, one of the ladies talked about how her goal for the month had been to be more positive.  I spoke with her afterward.  She talked about a story she'd heard about perspective, saying it's all about how you look at a situation.  That every time she feels irritation or other negative feelings welling up inside, she takes a second to distance herself, then holds two choices out in her mind - one to choose the negative, and one to choose the positive.  And also that it's within a person's grasp to identify those things that cause discontent and change them.  And to put it simply, recognize that this is what you get paid to do, and you might as well be willing and happy to do it.

Well, seeing as how my "discontent" centers around my job, then I must change that.  Quitting isn't a logical option right now.  I can only change things within my job.  So I will start looking for ways to do that, and it might take getting creative.  I tried just acting happy last Friday, and it was a pretty good day.  The fact that it was Friday helped, and I had two successful phone calls one right after the other, to the IRS and the Georgia Dept of Revenue, which was a huge booster for the day.  We'll see how things go tomorrow.  One thing that I recognize though, is that the people I work with are so great.  Really I can't think of even one person that makes it hard to work there... so that is a huge plus.

This next week will be pretty busy.  I'll be glad when next weekend rolls around.  Then I'll be exactly where I was at this time last year - exactly one full time job and no other commitments.  My class will be over, I have quit my second job, and although I went to ward choir last week after church, I've decided not to continue with that either.  Sounds like I'm being a recluse, but I think it is exactly what is needed right now.  I really, really want to focus on taking care of myself - gym, eating healthy, etc.

You wouldn't know how intelligent she really is from the blank look that's always on her face

This was from the work party

Figuring out how to take ipod pictures.



Nice

Wow. I figured out how to get on my blog and blog from my iPod without buying the app.

Facebook status collage 2010

jui;nj

Boo.  No motivation for anything.  Except sleep.  Yeah, sleep.

70's hair

I feel like this blog is so self-indulgent.  Ha.  Well what else would I write about, I guess.

I tried to do my hair curly today... it poofed and now it looks like it came straight from the 70's.  I have an hour to try and fix it before going back to work.

LOVing this iPod Touch.  I figured out how to configure our router for wireless internet (had some help in setting the password to make it secure).  It is so much fun.  I can see just how an iPhone would be so awesome, since it can have internet everywhere and not only near a wireless router. 

Last night I made a night-time playlist.  It's nice to sit in a clean, dark room once in a while and do nothing but listen to relaxing music.  (I don't do it often at all, but hope to more now that I have this groovy music-player-thing!)  I love all of the songs so much, that I might list them on the blog later- just for my self-indulgence... it would be boring to sit and read for anyone else.

Blessing

Saturday was neat because I got to drive up to Logan and be present for Danielle's patriarchal blessing.  I met Alison and John Bob, and Mom up there.  We got to see Danielle's dorm apartment, and went to the patriarch's house for the blessing, which went for about a half hour all by itself.  It was the neatest blessing I'd ever heard.  It made me see Danielle a little bit differently than I had before... not that I ever thought she was anything less than amazing... but I think she is meant for bigger things than I would've imagined.  She really is the sweetheart of our family, I must say.  I was so glad that she invited us up for it. :)

After that, we went to dinner at Olive Garden.  We got to know John Bob a little bit - he's Al's boyfriend and very cute. 

Then I drove home and got home about 9:30.  We caravanned (SP) on the way home.  I volunteered to be the leader because no one else wanted to.  I accidentally led everyone out into a dark backcountry road.  It's a straight shot from the canyon opening to the freeway so I really don't know how it happened, but oh well. 

It was a very neat day altogether, and made me want to get out my blessing and read it again.  I've let way too much time go by without reviewing it.

Work party

Friday night was our work Christmas Party.  We had a dinner at Thanksgiving Point and then a little "Let's Make A Deal" activity.  More like a BIG activity.  Our table won iPod Touches.  Some of the other prizes were $500 in Chevron gift cards, $500 gift cards to Sierra West jewelers, KitchenAid mixers, digital cameras, and iPads.  The bum gifts were a jar of sauerkraut, sunglasses, a bottle of lotion, and a candy cane with a dollar bill attached.  The groups with the bum gifts got a chance to trade their gift at the end of the party for a yet unopened gift.  All throughout, the owners would try to lure them away by buying their chosen gift before they got to open it, for a sum of money usually a couple hundred dollars.  BUT.  The grand prize gift that was in there... no one knew was there... and in fact, I think a couple of groups had turned it down for the money, were.................  GET THIS............................  $2,000 in travel credit to anywhere AND a cruise!!  Five people each, the table next to ours, got that one.  Yeah.  Pretty much everyone in the whole room was stunned.  So I guess in dollar value the iPod was one of the cheaper gifts, but still I'm not disappointed.  We've been playing with it constantly since we brought it home... I never thought I'd have anything as nice as that.  I sure do work for a great company.  No matter how put off I get by taxes, at least the company itself is great and I have to be grateful for that.

Oh my gosh, I die every time I watch this

Lawrence Welk parody

I love it so much that I'm posting on my blog AND facebook, how's that for cool.

Hint: Click to watch

Urk

Just one little pet peeve that I have to get out because I'm bored - I cringe every time someone says they "loved on" or need to "love on" their kids or babies?  I know what moms really mean when they say that, but it sounds weird and gross!  As one who has absolutely no business correcting moms, I just have to ask, don't love on your kids, just love them, ok?  Thx. :-)   Ha ha it reminds of when Michael Scott made his screenname "littlekidlover" so that everyone would know how good he was with kids.

Doggie daycare

So I made an appt to board Gwennie Saturday night at Rockin' Dogs, the place we've been taking her since she got all her shots.  I've always thought something was a little "off" about the owner- but always just thought - "well, he's a business owner, business owners often have weird personalities."  However, after I made the appointment today, I found a bumload of horrible online reviews for Rockin Dogs.  Really, the only thing I've ever wondered about, besides the owner, was the extra $30 they charge for dog grooming when staying longer than two days, because it didn't look like she'd been groomed, and her nails certainly hadn't been clipped.  Other than that, it has seemed fine.  But after reading all of that, I think we'll be looking elsewhere for another boarding facility.

Thinking on it - I wonder why should it be so hard to run that business AND be honest and polite at the same time?  Then I thought - I could do it!  I would take the things I like about Rockin' Dogs, include some ideas of my own, and run the business, and do it honestly and with great care for the wee doggies.  Let the positive word of mouth be a marketing tool.  I'm sure the hardest part would be getting the business up and going - no small job and I don't doubt it.  But once it was up and going, I could totally do that.

I think I could handle something challenging as long as I enjoyed it.

Just a thought.  Right now we're kind of in limbo, waiting to see what happens in the next year or so.  But I could start making tentative plans in the meantime.  Be something to look forward to.

blondeness

We decided Gwennie just needed more attention.  So we've been giving the little bugger more attention the last couple of days.  She is SUCH a bugger cuddler sometimes.  I should be nicer.  Since I'M a huge cuddler nearly all the time.  I get Gwennie.  Poor Geoff has to deal with us both.  (He's doing a good job though!)

Getting my roots touched up today.  Just thought I'd try to look nice for the Christmas party, which is Friday night.  I can't believe this will be my fifth party.  And possibly my last.  Crazy to think I've been there for that long though.  But yay for blonde roots.

So I know this is old as the hills, and I'm sorry for going on about it.  But I was just thinking how not long ago I wanted a big house.  Big, nice, modern.  Ever since the idea of moving overseas though, it seems a big house would just be an anchor - something to suck up resources that could be put into a move, and keep us rooted somewhere.  So I'm totally happy living somewhere small - I'd even take a place without a dishwasher - if it meant getting that much closer to that goal.  Stupid huh?  I think about this stuff a lot when sitting behind a desk dealing with taxes.

Someone at Geoff's work brought pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and shared the easy recipe with him: one box of spice cake mix, one can of pumpkin filling, one bag of chocolate chips.  Mix all together and bake.  So Geoff came home and made them, and they were so delicious!  I made them for my work a few days later and everyone loved them.  Last night Geoff had an idea to use chocolate cake mix instead of spice cake mix, and to use peanut butter chips instead of chocolate chips.  So we made them last night, and they were, quoting Geoff: "the worst cookies I've ever had."  Ha ha.  Well you win some you lose some I guess.

Thanksgiving weekend was sooooo nice. I just loved staying home and hanging out.  Reading, napping, watching movies.  Only two point five more days until the next one!

Getting back to blogging

So I'm going to try getting back to blogging.  My grandma mentioned at the Thanksgiving dinner that she missed being informed since I stopped blogging.  Alienating my grandma is not what I intended to do (sorry Grandma!) so I'm hoping to get back on track.

I needed a bit of a pick me up this year.  So instead of being my usual tired, scroogy self, I scraped it together and put up Christmas just a few days after Halloween.  I tried to sell our Christmas tree at the yard sale last summer, but no one wanted it in the middle of August or whenever it was.  I'm actually glad it didn't sell.  I like having it there.

We've been listening to Christmas music a lot too.  Geoff actually won tickets on the radio (the station that plays all Christmas starting November) to the Broadway play The Color Purple and Harry Potter premier movie tickets.  We weren't able to make it to Harry Potter, but we did go to the play at Capitol Theater.  People say it's not the most uplifting of plays, but I still thought it was good.  Geoff was excited to have won the tickets, and it was nice to get out and do something unusual.

What else.  I quit my second job.  I feel a little guilty about it because they're such nice people.  But not guilty enough to stay, I guess.  I just really want to focus on my physical and emotional health right now, and other things.  Speaking of physical health - I lost 11 pounds in about that many days on the HCG diet.  Then I quit the diet because of some weird side effects (which it turns out weren't due to the diet, but by the time I learned that, it was too late to go back on it) and gained 9 pounds back within a week, and now in the last two days I've lost three pounds again.  So my weight is pretty unpredictable right now.  Oh well.  What the diet has given me is more motivation to eat healthy and exercise.  Not saying I'm perfect, but better.  And I went off soda for long enough that it gives me headaches to drink it now, so soda is out too.

Gwennie peed on a blanket right in front of me today.  It's twice we've caught her peeing in the house within the last week.  It's either got to be because she hates going out in the snow - which we got about 6 inches of recently, or because she seeks more attention... I have been rather annoyed lately at being constantly climbed on and have not been giving her as much attention.  Either way, I smacked her good - a few times - and we'll be kennel training her again for the remainder of the week, because who knows what else she will pee on if we don't.  I threw that blanket in the wash, plus another one that had been sitting on the floor, just in case.

It's COLD!

I feel like the kid who can't put their arms down.

"Lame" parents are pretty awesome in my book

This made me laugh so hard because that is totally going to be us - and our poor kids.

Blog

Things are so up and down around here.  It almost makes everything just feel meaningless.  And blogging about it equally so.  I'll probably come back to the blog at some point, but for now, I just can't seem to get the will to do it.  So, see ya later.

It calls

Blue = Moody
White = Elusive

While my color code results would suggest that I'm just being moody, I feel very, very White in the last little while.  When I was younger, I used to love jumping in and taking charge.  I enjoyed responsibility.  Dunno, maybe the schooling changed all of that.

Now, I just want as few demands on me as possible.  I hate drama, so much drama.  There are some days, when all I want is to just wave a careless bye-bye to everything not worthy of my attention and precious energy.  To turn my face and envelope myself in newness, where none follow, and no concern to me.

HCG

I'm starting HCG at the end of this week.  Most people probably wouldn't admit that until they'd done it and been successful, but I can't keep it to myself.  I'd be gladly accepting of helpful tips and encouragement!  :)

I read Dr. Simeon's book last night.  It's pretty clear from his writing that he has some real biases about obesity and compulsive eating that I actually thought were sort of ridiculous, but when it got to the part where it explained about the "fat bank" and how the HCG "unlocks" or redistributes the abnormal fat so it can then be used up.  Pretty fascinating.  I understand now how a person can possibly live on 500 calories per day without starving to death (or even being hungry, at least per the book), and without screwing up your metabolism.

The part that I'm most worried about, after some research, is my personal hygiene.  Because you aren't supposed to use anything on your skin that has fat or oil in it, and this includes makeup, deoderant, hair product, shampoo and conditioner, and lotion, among others.  I might go buy some oil-free mineral based foundation, but I don't know if I can or want to replace everything else with what must be expensive all-natural oil-free fancy schmancy stuff.  And I never go anywhere without lip gloss, not since I was twelve.  Maybe some latex gloves would allow me to still put the putty in my hair!  Any suggestions on this stuff would be most appreciated!

It won't be easy, and will require a change in lifestyle afterwards in order to keep the pounds off.  Which means very little sugar for me, the sugar queen!  I'm a little nervous since I've never been able to stick with any diet or exercise plan in my life.  To me, the hardest thing I've ever done was to get through school.  There was a fair amount of complaining, as anyone who read my blog back then would know.  It was hard.  One would think that if I could do that, then I could stick with a diet plan.  I'm hoping that this 23+ days of no refined sugar will sort of detox my body and get me on a better track.  Overall, I'm very excited to get going and watch the pounds melt off!  Wish me luck!

Pug party!

Today we took Gwennie for a walk and decided to stop by her friend Krug's house.  They brought him out to play, and before too long another girl who had seen us brought her pug, Max, over.  It was a pug party!  If I'd had the camera I would've gotten a picture.

Night night in the kennel

That's what we say to Gwennie when it's bedtime.  She always runs right to her kennel, it's so cute.

It's 11:00 p.m. Friday night.  Geoff went to the gym.  Nothing sounds better right now than to listen to my new CD and take a hot shower (followed by application of my new special geek lotion) and then snuggle down in bed!

Happy Retirement!

Yay!  The big day has come for Geoff's dad.  He is officially retired as of today!  He has purchased a nice 5th Wheel and a truck to pull it, and will be moving out to the coast in three weeks or so, to enjoy the climate and be with his grandson.  He's excited, and I'm so happy for him.  Go Mike!

"There I fixed it"

Window won't stay up?  Apply spatula.

Walgreens parking lot

Kecharitomene

So I went to the dermatologist today.  I have exzema, triggered by the season change, possibly aggravated by hot showers.  Who doesn't love hot showers though?  Anyway, I got a prescription lotion to use and it should clear up in a day or two.  I think it's weird that I had such a huge sudden flare-up after 26 years of nothing.  But, I'm glad it's only sensitive skin and nothing worse.  I tried to self-diagnose a few days ago by googling pictures of rashes and trying to find a similar one.  Have you ever tried to google-image rashes? IT'S GROSS.  Don't do it.

Loving this album right now:

I heard the song Kecharitomene ("Ketchum" to my english-speaking mind) on Pandora and loved it, so I bought the whole album.  It's the only song like it, but the rest are still beautiful. 

I'm going to go spend the rest of my spare minutes for the day finishing book 3!  Love you Jamie and Claire.

Glen Strathconon, Scotland

More images here

a day

The alarm clock of death goes off in the morning.  It nearly kills me, and I suppress the urge to kill it while I make my way to the bathroom and fumble around with my makeup and toothbrush and such.

Make it to work.  Try very very hard to focus.  Sometimes it works; other times, like today, it doesn't.  Thoughts of sleep and blankets crowd all others from my mind. 

Only a few more big hurdles to cross before I am done with quarterlies - must have them done by Friday.  Need to focus on them or I'll make mistakes. 

If I can just get through today, I'll go home and snuggle in blankets.  And snooze.  In my comfy bed.



New makeup

While in Oregon, I was turned on to a new mascara:

Maybelline Falsies

I've been using Maybelline Full n Soft for years because it was the best I could find and worked pretty well.  But I actually do like this a lot better.  It doesn't give a thick lash effect, but it does lengthen and darken, which makes your lashes - well, mine anyway - stand out much more.  And they stay that way all day; no need to re-apply later.  Some of the reviews I've read said you have to take your time with this one or it'll clump, but I don't think I've had that problem.  I guess I always take my time with mascara anyway.  Been poked in the eye with the mascara wand too many times.

Bleh schoolio

I have an exam that opened on Saturday and will be available to take until Wednesday.

What does the test cover?

Uh... chaptersss 8? through 12?  And I guess whatevers in them.

Got LOTS of studying to do.  Dang me.  I just want to read what happens to Jamie and Claire.

Yep, pictures of the dog

Here we are, wrapped in sweats and blankets, determined not to turn on the heater for the first time this winter.

Yesterday, I went to the mall with Alison.  She's going to New York next weekend with her BF for a concert and wanted to pick up a few more things before she left. 

We mostly sat around for the rest of the day.  We each made trips to the grocery store.  I'm about 3/4 of the way through the third Outlander book (in only a few days!  That's a lot of reading for a 1,000 page book).  I'd picked up Gwennie from day care that morning, and she was completely pooped for the whole day!  For a dog who's supposed to sleep 18 hours a day, she must've had a lot catching up to do.  She barely moved from the couch except to crawl in our laps if we happened to sit down.

She somehow found this cozy little hole in the blanket and sat herself down in it.  Silly girl.

I slept right through church today; it is a LAZY day.  This rash hasn't gotten any better.

The day care place took this adorable picture of her.  I think she makes the cutest little shape when she's sitting!  That's her tired face.  She's trying to keep her eyes open.

Oh and to answer Jared's question about the schools, so far it is University of Washington, UNLV, Boston University, and the recently added Columbia University.  The fourth because their internship/residency (I know there's a word for it; I just can't remember it) is two years instead of one, which would be really good.  I'd be totally happy going any of those places.

Oregon

Oregon was great.  We got there Wednesday afternoon.  We stayed with Geoff's mom, along with Chris & Angela, and Nicholas.  They fed us amazingly!  Which, of course, we don't expect, but they did anyway.  I love that there is such a homey feel at Denise's house.  Her husband is a big time hunter and apparently has a whole gun cabinet (under lock and key) and showed us a bunch of his guns on the first night.  Geoff was fascinated.  Most of them were handguns, but he brought out one rifle:

That thing was heavy.  I thought they were sorta neat too, provided they weren't loaded.  Being around loaded guns makes me very nervous.  But anyway.

On Thursday, we slept until about 8:00, ate breakfast, and went to Walmart.  Came back to the house and took a nap.  Then we went to Grandma Lemmon's house.  Everyone was there going through the stuff in the house.  Cleaning it out, keeping mementos that they wanted, etc.  She had been in that house for almost 40 years, and apparently bottled everything, then kept it all for decades, with the insistence that you can eat anything if you just boil it for 20 minutes first.  Denise gave me a couple of pictures that had been on the walls, one of our family, and a matted photograph that she'd taken and won a prize for - it was very pretty.

Later on, Chris and Angela arrived.  Hanging out with them was fun.  I'm not sure if I'll ever see Angela again, which is very sad because I feel like I've just started getting to know her.  But anyway.  Geoff, Chris, and I went to see a movie that night.  We asked Denise if she'd teach us how to make her famous lemon pie.  There's a secret to the lemon pie.  All of her family has tried, and failed, to duplicate Denise's pie.  But, she willingly shared the secret with me! and Geoff of course.  I felt so special.  I have sworn never to divulge the secret.  We made the pie again last night and it turned out good!

Friday was the funeral.  Everyone there wore pink shirts, ties, and/or pink ribbon pins.  Nicholas thought his outfit made him look like the mafia: (father and son)

It was such a beautiful service, with beautiful musical numbers and talks.  I didn't take the camera with me to the funeral, but the flower display was gorgeous too.  We went to the cemetary for the final remarks.  Then we went back to the church for a lovely dinner provided by the relief society. 

There was a guy at the service named Mike McGinty, who was in one of Grandma Lemmon's kids' ward in Idaho.  Joe (the kid) suggested that Mike McGinty contact his mother, who has geneology records going back to the year 3 in some lines.  It turns out, that he is a cousin of Grandma Lemmon, and never knew anything about his family until he got to know Grandma Lemmon.  She gave him a charge to continue following the family lines, and boy was he enthusiastic.  Very, very excited, and very grateful to have met the family.  I thought it took a lot of courage for him to come to the funeral where no one knew him, but he was a nice fellow.  It's pretty amazing, I think.  That such a random connection would be made, but an important one at that.  And he was clearly bitten by the geneology bug.

Well, after we had eaten, we said our goodbyes, picked up our stuff at the house, and headed back home again.  I slept most of the way home, and we got home around 3:30 a.m. and went straight to bed.  I noticed sometime on the drive home that I had a rash on my upper shoulders.  By the next morning it had spread all up my neck and face.  I don't know what it is!  The only thing new that I ate was Elk steak.  Maybe it was the laundry detergent used on the sheets or something, I don't know?  Gross though.  But I am glad that I could count on Geoff to drive most of the way.  When it's that late, I don't necessarily trust myself all that much, even if I don't feel tired.  He's a sweetie.

Goodbye for now

Well, just getting everything ready to go for the morning.  I stayed pretty late at work the last two days to stay caught up for when I get back.  The house is pretty clean from last weekend still (a miracle) and doing a little last minute laundry.  We made reservations to board Gwennie at her favorite day care.  I think she'll have fun but I know I'll MISS her like crazy!  I had the hardest time EVAR getting rid of my Collective Soul tickets.  First I tried to sell them and nobody bit, so then I tried to give them away and nobody wanted to drive out to Wendover for them.  That, or they didn't know who they were.  EVERYONE knows Collective Soul; most just don't realize it, that's how it works.  Finally someone said "that guy loves them" so I checked and sure enough.  He pretty much freaked out about it; it made his day.  See, Collective Soul fans are out there!!  Even if someone tries to tick me off by talking about how much they suck to my face.  Doesn't change my love of the band, just perhaps my opinion of that person.  So there.

Well, I obviously wish we were going to Oregon under happier circumstances, but I AM excited to see the family again.  I think there will be lots of tears, but most of them will be happy tears, in celebration of love and an amazing life and woman.

A strong, loving, beautiful woman: rest in peace Grandma Lemmon

Geoff's dear sweet grandma passed away late last night.  We got the call around two a.m.  We've already made arrangements to attend the funeral in Oregon.  She was such a sweetheart to everyone who knew her, and welcomed me into the family with open arms - even calling to sing happy birthday to me!  She will be missed by so many.  These are some of the touching comments that the family has posted on facebook this morning, with love and remembrance:

Today we lost a Beautiful woman, she was a true inspiration to everyone fighting cancer.. Gramma Lemmon... we will all miss you very much... We Love You.. and give Grandpa Lemmon a big hug from us all....


I am saddened by the loss of my wonderful Grandmother today but also happy that she is no longer in pain and is reunited with Grandpa. I am so happy for the time I have had to spend with her and to learn from her. She was such and inspiration to me and to those who knew her.


My Grandma lost her fight with breast cancer this morning.She was a strong women who beat the odds! I will miss you singing Happy Birthday to me Grandma. You will be missed!! love you!!


Lost his grandma this morning. She was an inspiration to anyone fighting a deadly disease. She fought the hardest I've seen anyone fight. RIP Gramma Lemmon.



My grandma passed away this morning after a painful battle with breast cancer. She was such a strong loving beautiful woman. It's fitting that she died this month since it's breast cancer awareness month. I just wish she hadn't had to suffer. I am once again reminded of the story of the dragonfly. I love and miss you grandma. See ya on the other side of the water.



Dear grandma, I love you so much! I am going to miss you more than anything, but I know that through the plan of salvation, I'll see you soon! And now you're with grandpa. You're amazing and I love you! ♥ ♥ ♥

Mr. Jennings is smart

Today in chronological order:

Church
Dinner/Lunch
Nap
VT
Krug the pug came over to play with Gwennie
Special on hot air balloons in Albuquerque
Pie
Can You Beat Ken game (the answer is no)
Trivial Pursuit Genius Edition (bahaha we gave up after not long - do they make a Trivial Pursuit for the regular schmoe version?  We need that one.)
Sister Wives/Undercover Boss

I have purposely not done any homework this weekend (not that that's hard).  Now it's back to the grindstone tomorrow!

Geoff has told me his three top school choices - the ones he'll work extra hard on his applications for.  I would LOVE to live at any of those places.  I actually feel really good about the choice to just work for now and at least the first year of Geoff's school.  I look forward to it.

This weather is perfect!  The feel, temp, and smell.  It reminds me of visiting my grandma & grandpa in St. George in the winter.  I wish it could always be exactly like this.

A tale of woe: the pie eludes me

Earlier in the week, my mom emailed me a recipe for fresh peach pie.  It looked really good; Geoff and I decided to try it out this weekend.  The rest follows:

I go to Walmart to pick up the stuff in the recipe.  I get everything except the peaches.  I go to the produce section.  There are no peaches.

I go to the checkout and wait in line... and wait... and wait.  The cashier has a problem and is waiting to be noticed by the problem-solver, who is not coming.  I check my phone; it's been twelve minutes.  I move to a different line.  I notice that this line takes just as long as the last line.  Twenty two minutes later, I'm in my car.

I figure if any grocery store will have fresh peaches, it's gotta be the Sunflower Market, so I drive up there.  There are no peaches. 

Starting to worry about not refrigerating the milk and cream that sits in my car, I head up to Center Street to try Ridley's.  There are no peaches.

There are three more grocery stores I could try, but are any of them carrying peaches anymore?  I decide to forget about them and drive all the way up to 1600 north to try the farmer's market.  Luck!  They have a box of peaches left.  I pick out ten and make my way home.  Glad because the cream in my car is no longer cold.  Excited that now we can make pie together!

---- Later in the day ----

Geoff begins to peel the peaches and notices they are not ripe.  This does not make sense to me, but sure enough, they are crunchy as apples.

Not willing to chase around town again, I make phone calls to two more grocery stores to see if they have peaches.  Only Target has a few old ones.  We decide to make a different kind of pie.  Geoff wants lemon pie, I want key lime pie.

We go back to Walmart to get the ingredients for lemon and key lime pie.  We go to check out and wait in line... and wait... and wait.  Cashier has a problem and is waiting to be noticed by the problem-solver.  This time we stay in line. 

Eventually, Cashier starts ringing our stuff up, and his computer freezes.  He waits to be noticed.  Problem-solver comes and says there is nothing he can do, we must move to register 26 on the other side of the store.  Problem-solver says he will come open a till for Cashier in a second.

Fighting the temptation to run away with the food, we gather our stuff and walk to the other end of the store.  We wait for Problem-solver to come open a till.  About 8 minutes later, Cashier decides he was forgotten about and calls someone else.  Finally our stuff is rung up and we have paid.  We head home.

We begin to make our respective pies.  I am done making my pie, when I notice we have twice as much filling as we should, and realize I used twice as much heavy whipping cream as I should have.  Now my pie is both ultra-fatty and diluted in taste.  I feel like an idiot.

Not wanting to waste all that leftover pie filling, I decide to try the nearby gas station for graham crackers to eat with it.  They are $3 for a teeny tiny box.  I leave the gas station empty handed, and carefully avoiding Walmart, begin the drive to Target for graham crackers.

Halfway there, I change my mind and turn around.  I come home.  It's 9:00.  I spent all day chasing around trying to make pie, so dammit, I'm going to eat pie.

I can barely finish one piece.  Geoff says he doesn't like key lime pie.  I am an idiot.

Do I try again tomorrow?  Sure, if I can work up the nerve.

The end.

Hair and obedience training

Here they are: 

 

It's entirely possible that it looks better now than it did a week ago, now that I've started learning how to style it.  I'm kind of enjoying it though.  Long hair is beautiful and I would've totally kept it long if I could only pull it off.  My hair is much more manageable when it's short.

Anyway, and one of Gwennie, who forced her way onto my lap while I was taking these pictures.  She's so cute.

We took her to obedience training last night.  It's basically the same class we did already, only now it's with only small breeds.  And it's free for six months, so why not.  It's good socialization for her and fun to watch her play with the other dogs.  In the last class, there was a HUGE dog - I'm not sure what breed, but I would not be surprised if it was a Great Dane.  His name was Clark, and I think he was well over 100 pounds and not even full grown.  He and Gwennie were pretty good friends.  He was a very gentle player, but she still had to be careful to dodge his joyful happy paws - which were as big as her head - so playing was a teeny bit awkward.

In this class, she scared all the other dogs at first with her intensity, but after awhile a fluffy pomeranian named TogaPea warmed up to her and they played and played, and the pom never even got tired like most other dogs who play with Gwennie do.

Geoff's at CASA training again today (5 hours today!) and I'm off to get some new bathroom rugs.  They're way old now and Gwennie chewed a hole in one, so.

Signs that people think your new haircut sucks

• When they ask if you got a haircut and you say yes, the responses are:  "Right on"  or  "I'm glad you like it."
• The normally complimenty people know you got a haircut and just don't say anything about it, probably to avoid the uncomfortable situation described above.
• They see you coming and then try to shield their eyes, while running away and screaming

Okay, that last one didn't happen.

I think it's fine, I'm just still learning how to style it.  It's probably the shortest it's ever been, maybe too short for other people?  I still think it's pretty cute though.

By the way, I picked cleaning last night.  I did a ton, and when Geoff got home he did a ton too.  So our home is all nice and ready for us to enjoy it this weekend.

Got all night

Geoff is at CASA training tonight and I'm home because there's no class tonight.  All day I've been wanting to get cracking on some cleaning, and looked forward to it!  Although right at this moment I'm so tempted to just spend the night hanging out on the couch.  A clean house would be nice.  So would early bed.  Hmmmm it's a conundrum.  Either way, it feels soooo nice to be able to just come home after work.

Gwennie is in my lap.  I finally consented after she begged and begged to be held.  She's a most needy little dog.  I think it's a common pug trait?  They loooooove their people.  She's so precious so it's okay.

Chile miners

I've basically been glued to the news coverage of the Chile miner rescue operation since they brought the first man up last night.  I am so completely amazed that they were all rescued.  Just think of all the things that had to happen just right for this to be able to happen; it is a miracle.  I'm so happy for all the reunited families; I couldn't imagine going through such an ordeal - from either end - what amazing people - the miners, the engineers, the rescuers, the families.  I'm so humbled and grateful tonight for what I have right now - to be in my comfy home drinking hot chocolate in my pj's and cuddling with my husband and puppy.  I'm just so happy that everyone has gotten out alive and seemingly well.

A blurry shit-smear of rainbow sherbet ice cream

So, in light of my recent commitment to post more pictures on this blog, I give you:

7 things you really don't need to take a photo of

Link posted by a friend on facebook; I thought it was funny.  I am guilty of at least 3!  Ha ha.

Oh by the way, you are my oily pig-flesh soulmate.  tee hee hee

Dark Provo

Geoff will be home late tonight, because it's his first day of training with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate).  He'll be working with them for about a year or so I imagine, but they have lots of training before you can start.  He's excited to do it.  I think something like that sounds rather intimidating, and I'm proud of him for doing it.

I got home around 8:00 tonight myself cuz I was at the other job in Provo.  Driving through Provo at night always makes me nostalgic of our courtship - because we met in June, but the courtship was from around August through March, and it was almost always dark outside when we were together.  I would get off work in Payson, come home to brush my teeth and whatnot, then head over to Geoff's.  Good memories of hanging out in the loft at Rich's apartment, or the kitchen when we sometimes made dinner.  I sorta miss Geoff's roomies too they were good people.  But yeah August - March seems like such a SHORT courtship when I think about it now!  I almost feel like who in their right mind would meet and get married in less than a year.  We didn't know each other at all.  In fact, I don't think we've really truly gotten to know each other until this past year.  But I would do it all again.  I love being married.  Sometimes I think about what's to come, even in the next couple of years, and my process-oriented mind worries about the minute details (for example, the challenges of finding a place to live while keeping Gwennie, etc. stupid stuff like that) but I know whatever happens will work out.  And I AM very excited.  Geoff is as excited as I am to experience a new place - hopefully with history and culture and neat places to visit nearby.  He is actually applying for a local university in addition to the others though, just because he already started and figures he should finish.  Wouldn't that be funny if he got accepted there and we decided to stay?  ha ha.  Funny.

Anyway, only one day of school this week and it's over!  Woo!

Veg-e-tables.

We made today a vegetable day and made spaghetti squash, broccoli, corn on the cob, and cucumbers for lunch/dinner.  Ha ha.  Of course I followed that with the season's first cup of hot chocolate  and there might've been cookies and suckers and whatnot too.  I'm so bad about sugar!  I just crave it, all the time.  If I wanted to get in shape and lose a few pounds, the first thing I should do is cut out the sugar, but it's so hard!

Anyway, with today's and yesterday's naps, this weekend has flown.  I love naps.  I love Geoff.  I love Gwennie.  I love weekends.

Nightmare

Welcome to your nightmare.

La De Da

Yesterday, Geoff had sort a crazy/crappy day.  Mine was pretty weird as well, so I skipped class (bad me) and we went out for ice cream for dinner.  We went to the mall briefly, then came home and watched a Dracula movie.  We're thinking about going to a Dracula play at the U in the next couple of weeks, so we wanted to see the movie version first. 

Tonight we're planning on the Nightmare on 13th with some friends... a little nervous cuz it's our "first date" ha ha, should be fun though.  I always look forward to going out, but I always look just as forward to coming home and relaxing afterwards... sort of a homebody I guess.  But it will be fun.

Gwennie was being super wound up and aggressive last night, so she's at day care today, to play and get some energy out.  And that's pretty much all that's going on this week.  Pretty much.  Next week might bring some new possibilities but I won't say too much about that yet.

This is the best!

It's just like a delicious moutful of the best key lime pie!  Yummmm!!

I'm Wistful

So I wrote a huge post and then deleted it.  On purpose.  I've got nothing interesting to write about, yet I feel compelled to write, like I have since I was about 13.  I was actually googling pictures of utah county rainy weather, and somehow came across this blog, which just happened to be about - of all things - Scotland.  I read these two posts:

A Post for Isabelle

and

A Highland Adventure

Which has only reaffirmed my intense desire to go be there for a long period of time (preferrably to live there if ever given the chance.)  Just breathtaking.

Gwennie dances

Weekend adventure

Well, I guess Friday wasn't exactly peaceful or productive. 

But, Saturday was the best day with my hubby, ever.  First we watched the first session of General Conference.  Then we headed up to Sundance again to enjoy the last warm weekend of the year.  It was uncharacteristically warm. 

We rode the tram up to the peak of one of the mountains.  Yes even my hubby - usually not fond of heights - went.  Actually, he suggested it!  I loved it.

Then we hiked around to Stewart Falls, which revealed some beautiful scenery.

The only sad thing about this hike was that the best view came from the return to Sundance.  It was probably the most stunning and striking Utah scenery I have ever seen, ever.  You would've needed a panoramic camera to capture the full majestic beauty that surrounded you.  Sadly, I didn't take any pictures of that.  I don't know why.  Next summer I definitely should though.  There's two ways to get to Stewart Falls, the Sundance way (which we did) or Aspen Grove.  I think you can probably only see that view from the Sundance way, since the other trail looked like it veered off a whole different direction.

On the way home we stopped at Harmon's and got stuff to make pie with.  I like Harmon's.  We got home and showered because we got sooo dirty on the hike, then Alison came over.  She stayed while we made the pies.  We've never made pie before!  Well, I made a crummy easy 'ol banana cream pie with instant pudding, but Geoff made a couple of pumpkin pies, they turned out really good!  The three of us watched a movie. Then we watched the second session of conference (we had DVR'd it in case we didn't make it back in time which was good because we didn't.  Also, Alison had to work until 3:30 so that's why she was watching it with us).  We went back to the store at 11 pm to get stuff for dinner for today and that's when Al went home.  Best day ever!  I so very much enjoyed hanging out with Geoff, doing fun things and watching conference.  And I love it when Alison comes to hang out too. :)  It was one of the things I missed when she was gone.

Today we've been a little bit more lazy.  Did a little laundry, watched conference, and made cookies and delivered them to some of the neighbors.  We learned that our above-tenant will be leaving before the end of the month.  I wonder who will be there next.

Yay Happy Friday again.

I think that tonight will be spent with Geoff working on school apps, and me reading a textbook and working on laundry.  Sounds both peaceful and productive; I'm actually looking forward to it??  :)  This weekend will be great.

A teaching moment

Hmm does that bench look familiar?  :)  (Sort of, except now the foliage is in bloom.)

What I learned

1) I need to recommit myself.  To the church, the gospel, to growing my testimony, to living closer to the spirit.  It is through doing these things that I will have the guidance needed from day to day and throughout my life.

2) Whatever decisions that I make in life, nothing is so important in the eternal scheme of things, as family.

3) I was reminded that Satan and his influence are ever-present, and relentless.  Understanding the endowment more fully is key to resisting and overcoming.

a) The only way to understand the endowment more fully is to go to the temple regularly.

b) I feel that one of Satan's greatest tools that he uses on me is doubt.  I will never understand everything about everything, and there is going to be doubt in me from time to time.  So, go to the temple regularly; continue to learn about the endowment.

4) I am still amazed and consider my teaching moment a tremendous blessing and mercy upon one who didn't deserve it in the least, but who needed it.  This is testimony to me that God loves me and is mindful of me, and will let me know it if I will but seek Him.  I know that He is this way with all of His children.

I went hoping to at least find some calm in my heart.  I found that and so much more.  The sweetness of the spirit and overwhelming feeling of love.  Something I hope everyone experiences in their life.  I hope I never forget.  I am so glad I went.

Dogs will be dogs

The little stinker.

Sister Love

Today after work, Geoff went to the gym while I studied.  When he got home, we played with Gwennie and did some laundry while watching a DVR of the new show Sister Love.  It was an interesting show and I'm really intrigued to watch the rest of the season.  Although it is about a Utah family, I was glad that the guy set the record straight that they are not mormons, and not associated with the Latter Day Saints.  So many people think we are polygamists.  I think that their family seemed okay... no forced marriages, at young ages, and no child abuse or anything even close to that nature.  But the news is saying that the family is now being investigated for bigamy since the airing of the show.  But if the situation is working for them and they are happy (and not abusive) then I don't see why they shouldn't be able to choose that for themselves.  The laws may say different though, I don't really know anything about it.  Geoff says, "TLC, ruining one family at a time."

Anyway.  Nothing sounds better right now than to go relax with my hubby and go to sleep.

Indecisive Ingrid?

(VS Debbie Downer or Nervous Nellie.  I know I'm a HUGE dork.  Roll with it.)

So last week.

I waivered between doing a Macc or an MBA, or a Macc or an MBA or a Macc (or something else entirely!)
I couldn't decide between going to grad school next fall or not going
I wondered if I should quit my job, and if so, when, and what would I do afterwards

It was kind of exhausting and by the end of the week I was snapping at poor Geoff for no reason.  Yesterday helped, we went up the canyon and walked around Sundance, which was beautiful.  We found some hikes that we'd like to try next weekend.  I hope the weather is good enugg!  Then I just layed around, napping, watching TV, and went visiting teaching at four.  SO NICE!  I refused to think about work or do any homework. 

Out of those three items, the one that I've made a decision on is not to go to grad school next fall.  I mean, given my track record, there's no promising that'll stick, but for now.  We'll go wherever Geoff gets accepted and decides to go, and I'll work.  I'm hoping to rejuvenate some interest in accounting with a new job, and it'll give me more time to decide between degrees.  I never wanted to do an MBA because I feel they're sort of a dime a dozen these days (sort of), and the program is two years vs one, and I hated the business management capstone we had to do, taught by the teacher that's heading up the MBA program at UVU or something.  I just couldn't see myself surviving two years of that stuff.  But, and it's weird, but I had a feeling that that was what I needed to do?  But I would miss this year's deadline for most MBA programs.  Anyway, I'm giving myself another year to figure it out, or come to terms with it.  We'll see.   

Since I'm not going to grad school right away - and maybe not even in accounting, I tried to drop my auditing class, but I missed the drop deadline by a week.  I guess it can't hurt to have done it though.

Anyway, my thought now, and I'm excited, is where will we go?  I don't know or care but I'm excited for a new adventure!

Fall colors

Geoff told one of the kids in his program that I like fall colors, and they made me this...

Sundance